Exodus 20

The Ten Commandments
And God spoke all these words, saying:

1 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. “You shall have no other gods before Me.

2 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

3 “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.

4 “ Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

5 “ Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.

6 “You shall not murder.

7 “You shall not commit adultery.

8 “You shall not steal.

9 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

10 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”

Well here we are, the official "work" week is behind us and the weekend is here. It is 6:00 am and all is quiet on a Saturday morning in my house. As usual I find myself wondering what it would be like to truly observe the Sabbath as God commanded. The last few weeks my bible study has confronted me with the law, commands, obedience,and loving God. I have asked God to change my heart and my understanding about obeying his instructions and trusting Him.

I've listed the "Ten Commandments" because they are probably ten Instructions from God that every believer agrees should be followed. God wrote them down on stone tablets for Moses to present to the nation of Israel at Mount Sinai. Christians today in America get all stirred up about posting them in schools, court houses, and Public squares. They are they only "Laws" of God you can extoll without being called legalistic, which is the most dreaded thing any Christian can be accused of. Then comes the Sabbath.......... and I realize even the "Big Ten" are really only the "Main Nine". Compare the number of sermons you've heard on tithing with the number you've heard on keeping the Sabbath holy. Even without getting all caught up on which day we should observe, the Sabbath or the Lord's day, just following God's instructions. These instructions were in place before Moses showed up. They were established in the beginning and enforced when Adam and Eve disobeyed God's One commandment.

This month Louisiana Southern Baptist are taking part in an initiative called "Awaken 2012". We are praying and fasting for revival. A 21 day journal with a daily focus is also part of the program. It is a great endeavor and spiritual revival is desperately needed...... Day 12 of the journal is titled "the Blessings of Obedience". What if? What would happen? What if all Southern Baptists purposed in their hearts to fully obey the "Fourth Commandment". On our Lord's day we would rest. We would not participate in anything that required others to work. We would fellowship together as families and worship together as believers and focus on God's goodness. What would that feel like? Would anyone notice? Would a lost world dying from a frantic, hectic, busy lifestyle stop and marvel? Before you answer think about the cost of obeying. No retail shopping, no electronic distractions, if you "earn" your living preaching or leading worship, oops, take the day off. Think about this, dwell on all the implications....... Now examine your response. I was ashamed. My main focus was " would I have to give up NFL Games? That's restful to me. Could I still go to Chili's for lunch? What if I need to run to Super One or Walmart? Are there any loopholes, exceptions? Who decides what counts and doesn't ? Wait! Which day is the Sabbath, Saturday or Sunday? ............ I'm just like a spoiled, self centered child. A loving parent gives an instruction and the heart leans toward rebellion instead of Obedience. Do we view God's instructions as loving gifts for our protection or punishing burdens under which we suffer? Have we taken the liberty of Grace so far that our hearts despise obedience. We want revival but not at the expense of our own desires. That is why we are an American Church that looks more like the culture than the pure bride of Christ, anxious for His return.

Wow. A long post today. I have far to go and much to learn.